Licentiosus
by Aldapan
Summary: (Suzaku x Euphie drabbles): Set between meeting and the massacre at the SAZ. Moments that are captured in snapshots of time that focus on a pair with a taboo over their heads. Moments that are captured in snapshots hidden away from public eye. Moments that are captured in snapshots that complie into an intimate album of cherished memories. Cotton candy fluff. Non-canonic.
1. Chapter 1

Licentiosus

Snapshot 1: Banquets and Bothers

A/N: Because who does not enjoy a dabble in pure cotton candy fantasy fluff? Obviously R2 is not taken into account for this diddy as well as deviating from everything having to do with being canonic.

* * *

"This won't do, now will it?" Euphemia sighed as she leaned back in her chair, her dress riding up uncomfortably around her thighs as she shifted to try and accommodate the annoying fabric that kept being misplaced. When she was standing on her own two feet the dress hugged her wonderfully and gave her a coy yet professional appearance that had even the lower level members of government doing a double take that very warm summer morning as she walked into the administrative block.

She had been tasked with trying to organize some sort of banquet for visiting government officials and they had insisted that they blend together what had been once Japanese hospitality with the Britannian flair for elegant and extravagant parities. Cornelia had been less than impressed with the orders, delegating them off to her younger sister with the insistence that she would have a better hand in that than her and had abandoned Euphemia in her office to tackle the project. Euphemia had more or less sighed as she gave her sister a deploring look but had accepted the files with guest lists, food allergies, and dance partner cards.

It had taken her a few hours to more or less iron out the basic details of the affair and she had made more phone calls to certain planners that she was aware of within Area-11 to try and balance out some of the wants while ensuring that the needs were more or less met. She had worked through the extensive guest list, cross checking who was married to who, who was feuding with who, and who got along with who as she hand wrote out and diagramed the extensive seating arrangements. There were to be more than three hundred guests in attendance to welcome the government officials from the Homeland and she huffed as she recognized a few less than stellar figures that she had, had contact with: including her old physics professor from when she was a student and a particularly nasty government official that had taunted her for her bubblegum pink hair.

She had ignored the tray of food that an intern had deposited onto her desk, the cold sandwiches growing even colder, as she slowly worked through the logistics of trying to find a big enough space that would met the high standards of royal snobbery that she had grown up around. Euphemia found herself torn between the museum or perhaps the ballroom of the royal grounds but she was leaning towards the museum to ensure that she herself would be able to escape away and find solace in what would be a nearly abandoned government palace when she wished to retire for the evening. She had spotted her name on the guest list, one of the first twenty listed, and she knew that it would be a long and arduous night of nodding her head and pretending to be interested in furthering Britannian policy in the troubled Area-11.

Euphemia sighed again as she reached up to brush a bead of sweat from her brow, the heat of Area-11 being something that she was less open-minded to given that the Homeland had a much more comfortable temperature. She had spotted Lloyd Asplund creeping around the outer perimeter with the ever patient Cécile Croomy trailing after him to avoid him stepping on any toes and she wondered how they had been able to adjust to the blistering heat of the Japanese summer. She turned her attention to the air conditioning unit that was blasting out a pathetic stream of air and wondered if there was some cruel act that she had committed as a child that she was being forced to pay now in terms of the discomfort of a malfunctioning dress in the blasted heat of summer.

"Oh my," She sighed to herself again as she bent over the list of seating arrangements and cross-checked it with the list of guests to ensure that everyone had a seat. She had been strategic at building her table: Guilford and Cornelia sitting with her, Suzaku sitting to her immediate left—which she knew would be met with complaints from her sister—and she had filled in the spot with two softer hearted individuals who would not be glaring daggers at her poor knight the entire evening. Despite Suzaku having settled nicely into his role as her protective figure, she knew that the comments and sniggers still caused him some grief that he refused to react to in her presence. When she had questioned him about it once he had waved off her concerns, telling her that he had grown used to them and the spiteful looks thrown his way when her back was turned. It had pained her enough to know that her knight, one that she knew was more than qualified for the position, had become the punching bag of the higher reaches of society.

She had set aside the seating chart, unsure as to why the government designated planners had not been gifted such a herculean task, and she had decided to go through the list of dances and to match dance cards to the female participants. She had made two neat columns, slightly aghast that there were a smattering more of females than males, and she recounted everything thrice to make sure that she had not accidentally left anyone off the list. She ran a hand through her pink mass of hair that seemed to be frizzing under the humidity and she let out a very unlade-like snort as she ran through the names of the dances.

_Waltz._

_Quadrille._

_Viennese Waltz._

_Lancer._

_Quickstep._

_Tango._

"Only six?" She questioned aloud as she then realized that having three hundred people dancing would be utter madness and she was counting on the less socially inclined guests to sit out their dances. She muttered under her breath as she began to pair up the more obvious pairs based off her previous examinations of who got on well with who and who was married to who to avoid setting off any unwanted signals. Euphemia found that she had been able to work out the first four dances completely and was running into snags with the military personnel and her lack of knowledge on their relations as well as the fact that it was going to be a nightmare to try and ensure that everyone was matched with an appropriate partner. She also had to figure in that the Viennese Waltz, being the last dance, was the symbolic one of the bunch and required that everyone be matched with someone suited to them.

"For heaven's sake, I have more important things to be doing," She murmured as she threw her pen down and yanked open her drawer, pulling out the AC remote and cranking it up to full blast. The machine sputtered in annoyance as she begged for it to continue its brave work of keeping her cool while she worked through what was going to be an event swarming with press and vapid individuals who could barely look down past the tip of their nose. She felt the sweat pooling on her forehead as well as her underarms in the dress that would just not cooperate and Euphemia was on the brink of calling it a day and trying to look at it again tomorrow with fresh eyes when a knock on her door sounded and broke her from her internal monologue of not requesting a stronger air conditioning unit.

"_Yes?_" She called, wincing as irritation crept into her voice momentarily.

"Princess? It's me," A familiar voice said gently and she felt her face smooth over into her gentle smile at the recognition of her Knight. "May I come in?"

"Of course, Suzaku, you don't have to ask," She replied back as she tried to push the material down her legs again so that she was decent for the young Knight who pushed open her office's door. He stepped into the office, wearing what looked to be a summer interpretation of the military uniform that was a short sleeve shirt that looked to be made of comfortable and breathable material and slacks that were airy enough to provide lovely ventilation. Euphemia found herself envious of the soldiers that were prancing around in such garments while she was relegated to wearing the stuffy wear that the Homeland deemed worthy of a princess.

"Is everything alright, Princess? You look… _troubled,_" Suzaku asked as he closed the gap between the door and her desk, standing attentively before her as she gave him a half smile that did not quite light up her eyes. Suzaku had settled into his role as her Knight but she saw beyond the glitz and military honours and saw the young man that he was turning into that she found great strength in to push thorough some of the more difficult aspects of her life. They supported each other in their own ways and she was grateful that he had come as a much needed distraction from such a terribly mundane task that was causing her a world of problems that were minimal compared to his.

"It's fine, really, I'm just trying to work out the logistics for dance cards for a banquet next month," She explained in a hurried tone. "You're invited, too… of course. I hope that you'll attend, Suzaku."

"Of course," He answered steadily with an incline of his head. "However… what's a dance card?" Euphemia blinked at him as she realized that perhaps it was not a universal custom outside of the Empire and she motioned for him to come stand next to her behind her best. She reached into another drawer and withdrew what looked to be an elaborately decorated fan that had a strong crimson red ribbon that formed a wrist-sized loop at the base. She slid the loop onto her dainty wrist and opened the fan, holding it up for Suzaku to inspect.

"Tango, Lewis Maloof," Suzaku read as he studied the neat calligraphy that had been penned onto the wooden separators that divided the fan into various segments. "Salsa, Armando Carrasco. Waltz, Ronald Sudlander—are these all people?"

"Exactly," Euphemia replied. "The dance cards are basically assigned partners that you dance with to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate and that no one gets snippy about the quality of their dance partner. It sort of was based off a tradition from Europe but with a spin that we do the assignments to ensure no woman is left sitting. In this case though… there's a lot of women and not enough men. I'm trying to pair up women who I know get along, but…"

"It's not easy," Suzaku finished her statement as he touched the delicate fan with his fingers, rubbing the pads of his thumb and index finger over the wooden frame. "Is there anything that I can do to be of help?" Euphemia gawked at him momentarily, somewhat humbled that a man consumed with affairs of the military was willing to offer her help with such a task outside of his expertise. She saw that his kind face was light and waiting for a response from the pink princess and she gave him a quick nod, pointing at the lists of guests as well as the seating charts and explaining the rhyme and reason behind some of her matching.

"The problem is starting with the Quickstep because that really is a fast dance and I am trying to make pairs that will be comfortable doing a dance that is, frankly, really out of place for this entire affair," She explained deftly as she moved her hands around as Suzaku studied the list with a careful eye, recognizing most of the military personnel that would be in attendance. He was standing behind her as he leaned in, his chest lingering dangerously close to her shoulder as he began to tick off who would work together and who would not.

"These two would be fine, I think," He suggested as he pointed at a Nightmare pilot and a low ranking politician. "I've seen the two of them in them base together having coffee. They see to get along fine." Euphemia felt her cheeks redden as he leaned in even more, seemingly unaware that he was ghosting her bare shoulder with his well muscled chest and she caught a glimpse of the taut muscles in his biceps as he made a few comments on other individuals that did not seem to be problematic.

"O-okay," She said as she wrote them down in her growing lists. "And these two, correct?"

"Yes, Princess," He said in a low voice. "They get along fine—just do not let this person," He pointed at someone named Soledad, "—Dance with him. They had a nasty fight in front of all of us in the envoy and it was a bit tense." Euphemia crossed out said Soledad's name from the list as she matched her with a kindly Duke from the Homeland who was the least offensive person on the list. "These two as well seem to be alright…"

They worked through the extensive list as they managed to pair up most of the partners with the Quickstep,with Suzaku and Euphemia cross-referencing each other and Euphemia had paired herself with her sister for lack of anything other than being a placeholder. Suzaku himself had been paired with an affable woman from the Homeland who Euphemia knew personally and would not take offence at being partnered with the Honorary Britannian. During the entire process, Suzaku's arm and chest kept brushing against Euphemia whose face was growing redder and redder in the process, her embarrassment and the heat turning her a lovely shade of tomato red as she tried to shrink away from her kind Knight's body. She was immensely shy around him when it came to physical intimacies, he himself standing closer to her out of protocol's sake, but she would catch how he looked at her from time to time and it seemed to light a fire beneath her feet as she would look away.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked as she found that he was peering into her face with a look of concern plastered on his youthful face. "You're really red, Euphie, it's summer and all… but you should be trying to stay cool." Euphemia felt her heart pitter-patter against her chest and she swallowed as she tried to think of the most tasteful way to tell him that his closeness to her was setting off a stronger reaction than the summer sun but she grimaced as she nodded in agreement, muttered something about iced tea and iced water as she reached for phone to put in the request for beverages to the poor intern who had been suckered into working in this office. Her fingers wrapped around the telephone's neck and she pulled it towards her, spindling fingers dialling to the intern's desk that was shoved away in some isolated corner.

"Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, could you please bring me some water and iced tea, please? Yes, of course, two glasses… well, _three!_ You're more than welcome to have some, too," Euphemia added as Suzaku continued to linger over her shoulder and examine the lists for the last dance, the famed last tango that the Britannians seemed to be so fond of for reasons beyond his understanding. "Yes, yes, to my office, thank you!" She hung up the phone and pushed it back towards its home on the far corner of her desk, giving Suzaku a wide eyed look as though she'd seen a ghost before spilling her eyes back on the list.

"Ah, yes… the tango," She murmured as though reading his thoughts. "This one is tricky: the last dance is the symbolic one and is usually reserved for those who are…" She trailed off as she tried to rephrase the wording to not shock Suzaku four ways into the next week but even she was unable to find a suitable explanation. "…Courting. Unmarried, but courting. Historically." Her shortened speech drew a raised eyebrow from the green eyed Knight but he did not say anything as he continued to hover over her shoulder as he started to look at the pairings that would be easiest. He saw that Lloyd and Millie had been matched already due to their announced engagement, Cornelia and Guildord was another obvious choice, much to Suzaku's surprise at Euphemia's forced pairing, and he spotted a few other openly courting pairs that were already matched with Euphemia's red pen of fate.

They conversed amongst themselves quietly, discarding certain pairings based on common and personal experience with them and they matched with alternatives that seemed to work out quite well for most, Suzaku suggesting certain military personnel that Euphemia matched with Homeland-based guests. They worked well together as they neared the end of the list, their own two names being within the twenty or so that were remaining. Suzaku had already cast his eye on his list of partners and found no issues with Euphemia's conscious pairing with more forward thinking politicians but he had noticed that she had not paired the two of them together for any dance, assuming that it would be for the last one.

Courting, he thought with a lump in his throat. He cast his glance down at the Princess who was drinking greedily from the iced water that her intern had brought for them: large pitchers of iced tea and even a smaller one of lemonade had been brought silently into the office. Euphemia was an anomaly amongst the Royal Family and he knew that she was an authentically kind person who bled empathy and sympathy to those who needed a kind ear. She was emotional and she was reactive and impulsive, things he had highlighted when she had commanded her to love him. He had been unsure as how to interpret that but he had reaccepted his position as her Knight with her vouch of confidence and her promise to lend him her support and strength. She was radiant like a field of Hokkaido lavender in summer and she exuded a different mentality compared to her sisters and brothers. Suzaku knew that he would be pushing the limits to pursue any sort of courtship: he was an Eleven despite his status as an Honorary Britannian and he had no right to request her hand in those sorts of affairs without it hurting Euphemia or having her family's backlash.

"So, I think that these two will go together well enough…" She drawled on as she circled their names and connected them, jotting them down on a separate sheet. "And I think that—"

"—Euphie, are you sure that the last dance should be with me?_ Your_ last dance, I mean," He cut her off gently, his bicep pressing into her shoulder. She gave him a startled look as she tilted her head at him, not understanding fully the question he was posing.

"Of course it is, Suzaku, why wouldn't it be?" Her lovely eyes were bright as she gave him a baffled look as she tried to understand his logic behind such a loaded question. "You're my Knight, after all, and besides… I thought…" She trailed off as she herself was unsure as how to she wanted to complete her own sentence with regards to their private radio transmission in which they had come clean about their feelings towards each other. They had not really returned to address it properly and it had been a lingering question mark over their heads. Suzaku was aware that if he tried to explain his point of view that she would try to ease his thoughts and tell him that it would work out somehow while she herself knew that it was another sick impossibility given the rule of her family had been fairly adamant about Elevens in relation to the policies put in place to lock in Britannian superiority.

"I… just don't want people to have the wrong idea," He settled for. "They look at me and see that I'm 'taking advantage' of your status as a Princess."

"Suzaku, we always knew that people would have the wrong idea and I doubt that will ever change, but it's pointless to be concerned about what other people think at this point," She said quietly as she folded her hands together, lacing her fingers into a lattice. "We've done enough damage and with how the press is, well, they've probably already theorized how everything ends." She was still flush red as she took in a deep breath, desperate to reach for her glass of water.

"Euphie… doesn't it bother you?"

"I wouldn't have you have my last dance partner if it did, would I?" She replied quickly as she shrugged downwards as she tried to escape his chest pressed against her shoulder once again. She was silently praying that the Earth would come and swallow her up to avoid having much more contact with her Knight's frame but no such luck would bless her that scorching afternoon.

"No… I suppose not," He agreed as he seemed to drop the topic, reaching for her pen that she had temporarily discarded and circled their two names, joining with with a flourishing line that was neat and precise. "I'm honoured that you would consider me for your last dance, Princess."

"I'd be offended if you weren't," She said with a choked giggle, nearly singing praises as Suzaku retreated from her side and rounded her desk before settling in one of the comfortable chairs she had dragged herself from across the hall to have a space to entertain visitors to her office that were not her poor intern. Suzaku had swiped the decorative fan and he was opening and closing it slowly, staring at the names that were penned eternally into the wood. He wondered if she had enjoyed dancing with these faceless names of men that he did not and he did not dare to ask the Princess as she shuffled all her papers together, flashing him a nervous smile as she rose from her chair.

"It's a bit impractical, but I quite like the idea of having the fans, especially since Japan was known for their handfans," She offered to tide over the conversation. "I think that would be a lovely idea to repeat again—I'm sure many of the women will enjoy the memento." Suzaku opened his mouth to say something when he saw how the dress had bunched up against her thighs and he looked away, his own cheeks pink out of interest for not compromising the Princess' modesty. The pale skin of her slender legs was enchanting in its own way and he fought to ignore any potentially controversial thoughts from his mind.

"Oh, Suzaku, do you think that there… _Suzaku?_" She was peering at him before she felt a blast of air from the ancient AC rush over her legs and she looked down to find that her dress had rode up again. With a squeal, she flattened it and retreated to behind her desk, letting the structure protect her legs from the eyes of anyone as she herself look mortified that she had scandalized her poor Knight without realizing. "I'm sorry! It's a new dress…" Her explanation, while seemingly pathetic, was oddly endearing and Suzaku slowly slid his gaze over to her as she watched him with a flustered expression.

"Sorry… I should have said something," He offered meekly, embarassed to have seen more than he should have been permitted to see. By all accounts, he was as horrified as she was given that he was still unsure as to how comfortable they could be around each other and to what limits they could test the boundaries of their relationship. It was a unique clump of factors that made it difficult to truly gauge each other and they found it frustrating in the solace of their own silence.

"Oh…" She trailed off as she looked down at her lap, suddenly interested in the intricate stitch-work that had gone into her dress' skirt piece. "It's fine… accidents and wardrobe malfunctions happen. My dress for the banquet will be much longer… that much I can assure you of." She gave him a sheepish grin as she brushed a pink lock from her face, her cheeks returning to a healthy glow as opposed to lobster red.

"Shall we call it an evening, Princess?" Suzaku proposed as he cleared his throat, to which she bobbed her head as she placed the carefully constructed lists into a folder and sealed it shut, depositing it and the dance card fan from her first ever formal dance back into the drawer, closing it to the world.

* * *

Ideally, these snapshots of silly and fluff moments take place between their meeting and the massacre at the SAZ. I always thought they had a very interesting dynamic and how they complemented each other nicely. This is sort of a pet project that I'll update whenever I write something under the guise of 'writing exercises.' I don't own Code Geass, etc. Don't forget to review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Rotation II

Charity Work

_A/N: Smile for the camera!_

* * *

"I'm sorry, sir, but Her Majesty is not in her office," The intern explained nervously as Suzaku gave him a slighted look, unsure as to why he had not been advised in regards to the Princess' movements for that day. He was more or less briefed by Euphemia's neverending camp of assistants as to what was on her agenda and if he was required to be present or not. Euphemia had insisted that he continue with his schooling, reminding him that an education would be a greater asset than any weapon in a world that was pending a massive change, and he had finally caved in to her urging. She had requested that her own affairs, unless truly pressing, not interfere with his class time given that she was determined that he finished his schooling.

"And _where_ is she?" Suzaku enquired. The poor intern seemed to be perpetually frightened by Suzaku and the Knight had a sneaking suspicion that it was either his being an Honorary Britannian in a position of relative power or that the intern was simply unsocialized with the masses that seemed to move in and out of the government buildings everyday.

"Ah, well, someone from the Communications division met with her this afternoon and they left together," The intern managed to reply as he showed Suzaku the daily print out of Euphemia's schedule. Suzaku glanced over at the document, noting that she had, had a meeting with someone in the Education department, a thirty minute meeting with Cornelia, as well as a few other minor appointments with people whose names he recognized but whose faces drew massive blanks. The last appointment, blocked off for an hour, was circled in red and bore the name of "_Anahi Hassefau_" and underneath "_charity proposal_." He blinked as he accepted the paper from the intern who shied away nervously and repeated the name a few times.

"Who is Anahi Hassefau?"

"She's in charge of public outreach in the Communications division and also runs her own publicity agency, she had requested a meeting with Princess Euphemia a few weeks ago," The intern answered. "The two of them left to get lunch a few hours ago."

"And it never occurred to you to inform me that the Princess has left the perimeter?"

"S-She had her guards with her," The intern replied meekly. "I-I didn't know that it was necessary to c-contact you." He held up his hands nervously as he gave Suzaku a wide-eyed stare that reminded the knight that the lowly intern was shoved into a busy office and had probably not received the proper briefing on certain protocol. He had started a mere three months prior and Euphemia had expressed in private that she felt a bit bad for the poor boy looked confused and baffled by everything around him. She had taken the time to sit with him over tea in the attempts to begin forging a relationship based on confidence and had reported that he seemed less on the brink of an anxiety attack and more on the side of perpetually being nervous.

"B-But I can t-tell you that they w-were g-going to Ms. Hassefau's s-studio afterwards," The intern added weakly. "P-Princess Euphemia left m-me the a-address." Suzaku watched as the intern brought his computer to life, the screen flicking on as he opened his email and pulled up the address that had been sent from Euphemia's government email. He recognized the cross streets of being in one of the more posh and exclusive neighbourhoods of the Tokyo settlement and knew more or less where the high rise apartment block was located. Suzaku nodded his head at the intern, thanking him for the address before he turned on his heel.

_Even Euphie normally tells me if she deviates from her schedule,_ He thought darkly as he pulled the door to Euphemia's office closed, the intern staring at his back as he retreated down the hallway. He had a heavy and unsettled feeling in his stomach that churned in a way that made his mind analyze the potential dangers of the area. Euphemia was a public figure and the few times that they ventured into the city for non-government related activities there was always a supporter that seemed to see right through their attempts at disguises. She was always very gracious and she took the time to address each and every individual that came up to them, Suzaku watching the exchanges like a hawk, and she never discouraged people from approaching them despite the danger that they both knew was very real.

Even if she went accompanied by her guards, two appointed by Cornelia herself, it left Suzaku feeling miffed at the fact that Euphemia's older sister seemed to still lack significant trust in him and his dedication to the pink-haired Princess that seemed at ease with him to the point of entrusting her life in his hands. Euphemia was aware that her Knight was sensitive to the circumstances that he had been placed into and was conscious of his movements around the Royals, knowing that there were harking glowers always trained on him and his conduct. Euphemia had insisted many times that the only opinion that mattered was her own and that he would worry himself into circles if he kept reflecting on what others thought of their unique relationship but it was easier said than done in many instances for the young Knight.

Suzaku reached into his pocket and fished out his cellphone, scrolling to recent calls as he hit the CALL button, his device trying to connect with Euphemia's. She normally answered on the second ring at latest but it rang five times before the line cut out. Suzaku stared down at the phone as he felt twinge of annoyance before he tried to ring one of the guards, finding the outcome to be the same. They were even more attentive to their cellphones and always answered on the first ring when his name came up on their caller ID.

"Could you call me a government car, please?" Suzaku requested as he breezed by the general reception area of the government building. He was wearing his military uniform as well as the pin that let knowing eyes know that he was Euphemia's knight and he knew his requests would be fulfilled immediately. The receptionist nodded as she reached for the telephone, dialling down to the fleet of government cars that were parked in a subterranean bay and she advised him that the car would be up shortly. Suzaku thanked her stiffly, moving towards the exit and rounding the corner to wear the car would be awaiting him.

Just let her be there, He thought to himself as he already began to plan six alternative courses of action in case the soft hearted Royal was not at the address that had left behind. He reached for his mobile phone and tried Euphemia's number once more, the ringing drawn out for a full minute before he ended the call. It was truly a mystery to him as to why she was not picking up and he felt slighted that even her supposed protective detail was not taking any calls either.

* * *

"I'm not sure what I think about your proposal," Euphemia said slowly as she delicately cut into the tender piece of well seasoned chicken that was lying on a bed of lush greens. "I mean, I understand it's for a good cause, but…"

"You do not have to decide right this very moment," Anahi Hassefau replied with a chuckle, her eyes crinkling at Euphemia's hesitance to the project that she had just pitched to the young Princess. "However, we would like to ideally begin with in the next few days to ensure it's rolled out in time. I know it's not a typical request that comes your way, but we could not think of anymore more suited for the role."

"You flatter me," Euphemia responded automatically as she wrapped her lips around the bite of chicken that she had speared onto her fork. She dabbed her lips with a napkin, eyeing the woman sitting opposite of her. Anahi Hassefau was a name that she knew from the Homeland and had been very shocked to see pop up on her agenda a few weeks prior. The woman was a powerful influencer who knew how to sway the public through her campaigns and use of government approved imagery that seemed to light a fire in people's hearts for certain causes. She had been the driving force behind a massive campaign when Cornelia had been brought out to the public and the media coverage had been a remarkable success that was talked about for months after her public debut.

"I remember the work you did on my sister's debut," Euphemia said with a ghost of a smile. "Certainly it won't be as extravagant, but I'm confident that you will appropriate the resources to ensure that this cause makes its target goal?"

"But of course, I'm working with some of the best in the field," Anahi replied as she took a sip of the dark red wine that had been poured by them. "I even brought in a few from the Homeland in the hopes that they would get on board with this collaboration project. It can only benefit the Empire and garner support given that you have a higher approval rating than even your sister in Area-11. It would be a waste to not exploit that a bit."

"Exploit," Euphemia repeated numbly, her brow furrowing at the word.

"Well, _exploit_ is quite a strong word, isn't it?" Anahi replied with a tinkle of a laugh, amusement registering in her eyes. "Let me scratch that: 'exploit' is not quite the word. Perhaps we're looking for the word, _ah_… 'not let go to waste?'" Euphemia tilted her head, still seeing that they sounded fairly alike but she did not remark upon it as it was a moot point with the Media and Communications division who seemed to be constantly playing mind games with questions of semantics.

"Regardless of your decision to be an active participant or not, can I at least count on your vouching for the project?" Anahi requested as she steered the conversation away from talks of abusing of other peoples' status in favour of highlighting the project she had enthusiastically pitched to Euphemia. "Having your support would strengthen the funding process. Don't think that we did not turn a blind eye to the sales of that brand of cosmetics when you publicly declared on the radio that it was the best you had tried." Euphemia's ears turned pink at the recollection of being interviewed for a prominent women's magazine and she had been asked to name a few of her favourite everyday items. When she had casually mentioned a certain brand of highlighter, she received a massive floral arrangement as well as handwritten note from the CEO a few weeks later in thanks for helping boost sales in Area-11 as well as the Homeland. Euphemia found it mildly amusing, watching as Suzaku eyed the flowers with a skeptical eye as she giggled when he sneezed: obviously allergic to some of the more potent plants.

"That I will approve," Euphemia said with a nod as she gave Anahi a tentative smile. "I see that you're also wearing the infamous highlighter."

"You were right about it," Anahi laughed. "I caved in to see what all the fuss was about and I have to say it's one of my better purchases. You see how powerful mere words can be when they come from the right mouth? That's why we'd like to bring you onboard as a supporter at least."

"If I, _uh_, were to participate… what would be expected of me?"

"Oh, well, we would have to do an entire series of mark-ups to see which ones we can stitch together into a consistent theme given we have to work around some of the censorship laws," Anahi began to explain, her hands fluttering through the air as Euphemia nodded, slightly baffled by how fast this woman's mind worked. "It will take some pushing through to make sure there's enough time for it to hit the public the right way and sink in, so we'd have to make a teaser or two so that we can gauge public response. I doubt that, that will be problematic."

"How many mark ups are you referring to?"

"With or without the teasers?"

"_With,_" Euphemia replied cautiously.

"Oh, I'd say about sixteen? We have everything assembled and we will be able to work with various scenarios as well as different actors who seem to be fairly interested—especially if you decide to participate in a more active role," Anahi replied, her voice chirping as she took another swig of wine. "We could have it all done in two days and have it ready to be produced just in time when all the massive businesses begin their Christmas campaigns. You'd give them a run for their money, Princess."

"I suppose there's no harm in participating," Euphemia said slowly as she set her fork down and looked over at the two guards that were privy to the conversation, two silent statues that only moved if there was a threat. Euphemia often wondered if they had any underlying personalities but they seemed content with their masks of stone-cold projection. "The beneficiary is a cause that I do wish to support and help garner attention for them. I'm not sure how my siblings will react, but…"

"It will be very tasteful and nothing that you would be ashamed to show to anyone," Anahi cut in as she gave Euphemia a knowing smile. "Part of the allure of what has become your brand, Your Highness, is your modesty and your innocence. We would never want to compromise that on an economic principle—as well as a moral one. I'm not going to lie, the public tends to be quite enamoured with your softness. Your sister is the mighty one but you're the reasonable one. There's a lot of people who find that refreshing… especially with how things are in Area-11."

Euphemia was quiet as she let the media guru ramble on about the project, pitching ideas and concepts while the pinkette nodded her head tepidly, unsure if this was going to be one of the bigger botches of her very short political career.

* * *

"Can you just wait around the block? I'll call you when I've found Princess Euphemia," Suzaku instructed the driver who agreed with a head-nod, pulling away from the curb in the sleek black government car as he took the corner and parked illegally in front of a private entryway to one of the swankier apartment blocks. Suzaku did not fail to see the clear abuse of power of having a car with government tags but did not bother with commenting, realizing that those small changes would be the last ones to be made in a mentality so deeply engrained in individualism.

He peered up at the recently constructed building, a monstrosity of Britannian overindulgence as he furrowed his brow. It was a glass enclosed residential building that was a comically ironic nod to the lack of Britannian transparency, as he could see the curve of the inner hallways that spilled out into an impressive atrium with a large intricate water feature. The entire building stank of corruption and precarious money, something that Suzaku became much more aware of as he passed more time at Euphemia's side, and she would often look at the buildings with great reservation and a hint of well masked disgust for the normally cheerful Royal.

Suzaku flashed the pin at the security guard who had been reaching for his radio, uttering a, "I'm looking for Anahi Hassefau's apartment." The security guard's eyes widened in recognition of the royal crest and he muttered the floor and apartment number. He recognized the Knight from various television broadcasts where he had been present alongside his appointer and nearly stammered as he replaced the radio in its holder, letting the young man pass into the elevator bank where he was swallowed into the glass elevator and shot up towards the higher and more exclusive levels of the hideous apartment block.

It took a quick consultation of the direct apartments in front of him to get his bearings as he pivoted to the left and made his way down the hallway, his hand sliding into the neat jacket and his fingers bumping against his firearm. He doubted that it was necessary and he knew that Euphemia's guards, as icy as they were, were loyal to the Princess who treated them well to keep in their good graces and would comply with protecting her if they were pushed to the extremity of having to interfere.

As he stopped in front of the door that had been indicated to him by the security guard, he inhaled deeply, rapping his knuckles against the sleek dark wood of the imposing door. There was some rustling and he heard a few distorted voices, prompting him to tap on the door once again as his other hand rested on the handgun, ready to pull it out if required. His green eyes narrowed as he heard the locks undone and the door was pulled open by one of Euphemia's protective details who seemed shocked to see the Knight standing there dressed in civilian clothes and looking mildly furious.

"Kururugi," He said in greeting, bowing his head out of respect for rank.

"Where is the Princess?" Suzaku asked, trying to keep the tightness in his voice to a minimum as he peered around the frame of the guard, trying to see into the confines of the apartment. It was a lavishly furnished apartment with tasteful accents that hinted at the wealth of its owner and there were pops of rich colour mixed in with the rich creams and dark woods. He could hear classical music playing over what looked to be a fairly expensive audio system and he could hear two feminine voices speaking quietly from deeper within the apartment, one of them he recognized as Euphemia's own.

"She's… inside," The guard answered as he moved aside for Suzaku to cross into the apartment. Shutting the door, the Knight and the bodyguard moved through an expansive reception area and passed by a dining room, plates of food abandoned with a bottle of wine that was empty, and turned down a narrower corridor that seemed to lead to what were the more private rooms of the apartment. Suzaku looked back at the bodyguard who seemed non-plussed and calm, the situation obviously under control and presenting little to no threat to the Princess.

"This room, sir," The bodyguard said as he indicated to their left, reaching to tug on the door handle and pushing the door inwards. Suzaku's gaze went from alert to bewildered as he caught gaze of Euphemia and a blonde woman holding up various dresses, Euphemia wearing garments that were clearly not her own. Her pink hair had been styled into neat braids and there were a pair of sunglasses resting on the crown of her head, her feet bare with her shoes discarded in a corner. The blonde was holding two simple sundresses that they seemed to be debating about and their eyes cut to the Knight who had fallen silent as the bodyguard slipped around him.

"_Suzaku_?"

"Euphie?" He dropped the formality as he felt his jaw hinge shut. "What's going on?" The Princess looked over at the Knight, her lips pursed tightly together as she seemed to be at a loss for explaining the scene before him. There were various cameras, lights, and filters scattered around the room as well as a massive white cloth used for professional photography; assistants were busy sorting through makeup as well as comparing various props as they paused momentarily, unsure as to if it was going to be an interesting source of gossip or drama.

"Ah, you must the famous Suzaku Kururugi," The blonde said smoothly as she stepped away from Euphemia and extended her hand outwards with an award winning smile that reminded Suzaku of the models that graced billboards. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Anahi Hassefau—I work in Media and Communications. Please forgive the state of my home studio, we're trying to get a few test shots and mark-ups done with Her Majesty."

"Test shots?" Suzaku repeated, lowering his hand from his pistol as he gaped at the two women that exchanged bemused looks between them. "Test shots for what?"

"It's for a charity that focuses on paediatric care in a new hospital that is being built in Shinjuku," Euphemia explained softly as her gaze met his and she gave him an easy smile. "Ms. Haseefau requested my support in helping to raise funds for the charity to help cover the additional expenses that were not allocated in the budget approved by the government in the last chamber meetings. It's… a calendar. She wants to take a few photos and feature me for a of the few months."

"Why didn't you say anything to me about leaving your office?" Suzaku asked as he looked for a chair to sink down on, his anxiety lowering back to normal rates as he eyed an assistant who had been giving him the up-down before turning back to picking through lipsticks. "Why didn't you pick up your phone?"

"This building has terrible coverage," Anahi answered as she sighed. "I've missed many a phone-call because of it—it's horrid, _really_. I can't even put in a landline because no one uses them anymore." Suzaku gave her a weary expression and the woman shrugged as she tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. "But as Her Majesty explained, I approached her and pitched the idea of the calendar. I'm sure you're quite aware that she's gained significant popularity in Area-11 and it would help to get the project off the ground in terms of having such a prominent individual involved."

"It is for a good cause, Suzaku," Euphemia added. "Besides, Ms. Hassefau has worked with the family before." The Knight relented as his shoulders relaxed, sinking down into the seat as he knew that Euphemia's actions were not malicious and it was one slip-up on her otherwise meticulous record of keeping him informed. She gave him a sheepish expression, the apples of her cheeks a faint pink, and she looked away from him as one of the assistants approached her with an armful of make up, trying to shade match the skin tone of the flustered Princess.

"Normally I don't let outsiders stay, but considering the circumstances, I won't say no to it," Anahi said briskly as she nodded at Suzaku who made it clear that he would not be abandoning his position from the chair until he left with Euphemia in his custody. The Knight gave her an uneasy smile and the publicist turned back to the Princess, the two of them continuing their debate about the sundresses and which one would be more appropriate for the month of July.

* * *

"These are excellent for the summer photos, I'm sure we have more than enough," The photographer said as he gave the Princess a thumbs up. They had been working into the later hours of the afternoon, the two body guards dismissed by Suzaku who saw that they were growing restless from being on shift all day. The Knight had found a comfortable position on the chair and was picking through a few of the magazines that an assistant had dropped near him in the event that he was disinterested in the photoshoot for the charity calendar. He drifted between watching Euphemia being coached into tasteful poses and morphing expressions, deeply amused as she would twist in odd ways from time to time to meet the photographer's request as well as Anahi's additional suggestions.

"I think we should try one for winter, Jeng has already set out a few outfits that she thinks will work with it," Anahi said with a resolute nod, the black rings under her eyes a bit more apparent under the harsh studio lighting. "Let's try for the month of February? A good transition month." Euphemia followed Jeng to the neighbouring room that doubled as an editing room, a changing room, as well as a prop closet and they closed the door behind them. Suzaku looked at the door wistfully, knowing that the pinkette was safe but it still did little to squash the unease he felt when she was out of his line of sight.

"You're a lucky man," Anahi remarked as she dragged a chair up next to Suzaku. "She's really something—nothing like her sister." Suzaku raised one inquisitive eyebrow at such a blanket statement that compared the two sisters but chose to keep quiet as the blonde reached for her cold tea and downed it with a single chug. "That sort of kindness and selflessness: it's something that I think a lot of the Britannian brats are lacking these days. They're all just so focused on bettering themselves without taking into account a lot of other things. Princess Euphemia is the complete contrary, which gives me a bit more hope for Area-11."

"I'm sorry?" He finally spoke and the blonde sighed as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I don't quite understand."

"Let me put it to you this way," Anahi began as she set the teacup down on the ground, seeming not to care if it tilted to the side. "Just as you, an Honorary Britannian, have proven to shift public opinion to show even the slightest glimpse of upward mobility, the Princess has been able to prove that not all Royals are intolerant and xenophobic. From what I can gauge of her behaviour in the media, she truly does seem to be able to see beyond arbitrary labels that we assign each other and truly see whatever good we have within ourselves. Her empathy is unrivalled.

"I've been in this business a very long time, Major Kururugi, and I can tell you that there's a lot of falseness and pretentiousness that you get used to sniffing out," Anahi continued as she leaned back in her own chair and turned her head towards the closed door. "On that alone, she would be a much more successful political figure than her sister or brother. Even us cronies in the media are fairly won over with her given that she allows herself to be vulnerable and human. There's no pretending. That's the sort of person you've been entrusted to protect and serve and it must be an absolute honour."

"It is," Suzaku agreed readily as he digested the thoughtful line of dialogue that Anahi Hassefau had just fed him. He knew that the media was a sensitive subject and it had made himself as well as Euphemia nervous in the beginning but she had learned to form a working relationship with the press mongers and it became more of an annoyance than an actual fear inducing activity.

"Here she is," Jeng announced grandly, opening the door to reveal the Princess. Euphemia's hair had been let down in its natural state, she herself wearing a tasteful white blouse with a dusty rose coloured skirt that hit right below the knee. Jeng had managed to wedge some dark brown leather boots onto her delicate feet, Euphemia tottering slightly as they were not her footwear of choice, and she was lightly made up so that you could only see a hint of blush and a bit of accenting the angles of her face. Suzaku sat up a bit straighter, his attention on the Princess as she carefully stepped through the door. "Miss. February," Jeng teased as she twirled the Princess around for Anahi's critical approval.

"Lovely," Anahi compliment with a bright smile. "February never looked better." The photographer nodded as he guided Euphemia towards the white screen and asked her to smile, turn her hips a certain way, run her fingers through her hair, pose a certain way: all tasteful and all stunning in her unique colouring and beauty. Suzaku watched with a faint smile on his face, Euphemia blowing a cheeky kiss into the camera playfully, which the photographer snapped, before he realized that Anahi was regarding him with a certain expression that was rendered unreadable.

"Actually, since it is February, why don't the two of you do the photo together?" She suggested as she crossed her arms and regarded Suzaku's clothing. He was dressed in civilian wear that was comfortable but fit him appropriately in a chic-teenager sort of way that Anahi rarely got to use in her campaigns. "I'm sure it would be a hit amongst the sympathizers." She grinned ruefully as Suzaku looked nervously at Euphemia who did not seem overtly opposed to the idea.

"Why not?" The Princess said as she extended her hand towards Suzaku, who seemed a bit tense at being photographed for such a big project. Despite the warming of the public to him, there were many moments when he was unsure as to where he stood with them. Staring at her hand momentarily before looking back at the assistants and photographer whose faces were encouraging and nodding, he sighed as he allowed himself to accept the Princess' hand and be pulled to his feet, stepping into the frame of the camera.

Jeng quickly stepped into the frame as well, a comb in her hand as she tried to tame some of the hair around his eyes and another assistant dusted his face with a bit of make up to cover any blemishes. As they worked silently, the photographer and Anahi muttered amongst themselves as they discussed poses, concepts, and other ideas that would meet the censor board's approval. There was nothing explicitly prohibiting an Eleven from being photographed with a Britannian and there was nothing scandalous that would incriminate either of them. The photographer waited as the two assistants finished their touch ups before disappearing from the set, squatting to the side on call if Anahi barked any instructions at them.

Anahi was much more proactive as she had them posing in various ways: back to back with their arms interlocked, Suzaku sitting on the ground with Euphemia standing regally next to him, and a few variants of them standing and adjusting their shoulders or Euphemia being asked to rise onto her tip-toes as though telling him a secret. They shot around forty different poses and Anahi, while appreciative that they were able to reproduce what she had wanted, was seemingly unsatisfied because, as she explained it: "_we know that it's sort of pretend._" Suzaku apologized, to which the blonde waved it off and chalked it up to everyone being a bit tired for the day.

In a brief moment of reprieve, Suzaku was sitting on the ground before the white cloth and Euphemia crouched down next to him, slightly behind him and she sighed as she yawned quietly behind her hand. She had been in the studio for several hours and while the work was for a charity, even she had her limits to how well she could function before it would seem like a fruitless task. She closed her eyes momentarily as she leaned her head on Suzaku's shoulder, prompting him to look down at her with half lidded forest green eyes and a soft smile.

"Tired?"

"Yes, well, it's been a long day," She murmured without opening her eyes. "And… I'm sorry for not saying anything. It just all happened so fast that I did not even have a chance to process what was happening." Her Knight shook his head lightly as he bent down a bit more to whisper something in her ear, maintaining an iota of privacy, and he could vaguely hear the sound of a camera snap as he assumed the photograph was testing something because he had mentioned something about changing out the lens.

"It's all for a good cause," He reminded her.

"—Let's wrap up for today, I think," Anahi broke in as she returned to the room and nodded at the photographer and her two assistants. "Your Majesty, I cannot thank you enough for your collaboration and participation in this project. I'm sure that the organization running the charity will be pleased to hear that you've come aboard. I think we have enough mock-ups for now—but I will contact you later this week once we have the go-ahead if that's alright?"

"Yes, absolutely," Euphemia said with a tired smile as she and Suzaku rose to their full heights, shaking hands with the blonde as well as her staff. "It has been my pleasure to be of help." Suzaku was quiet as he watched Jeng guide the Princess back to the multipurpose room to change back into her own clothes, he himself being handed a make-up wipe to clean his face of the powder that had been applied. Anahi had vanished into the depths of the apartment, leaving the Knight alone with the photographer who thanked Suzaku personally for his own participation.

* * *

"Your Majesty, this package has arrived from Ms. Hassefau," Euphemia's intern announced as he presented the padded envelope to the Princess who was sitting at her desk pouring over some documents with Suzaku. "She has kindly requested that you let her know if there are any that you find to your dislike."

"Thank you," Euphemia said as she accepted the envelope. It was a mere four days later and Anahi had contacted her because they had many photographs to sort through before they could move onto the final stage. Euphemia slid her fingers along the base of the envelope, carefully opening it, and fished out the photographs that were neatly clipped together as well as a handwritten note from Anahi. Suzaku leaned in curiously, silently studying the photo from April which had been a pastel themed affair with Euphemia posing with an umbrella and sporting canary yellow rainboots.

"_Oh!_" Her reaction to the February photo, tucked in the back, brought Suzaku back to Earth as he glanced at it and felt his cheeks redden slightly. It had been when she was resting her head on his shoulder momentarily, him leaning in with an expression that he now recognized as affection, and they seemed to be caught up in their own little world far from the Tokyo settlement or even the very planet they inhabited. The photo had barely been touched up—a few shadows softened here and there—but it was a lovely photo by all means that had been the only one not staged by Anahi or the photographer. There was a raw sense of intimate authenticity to the photo that even Suzaku recognized and he himself was impressed by how it had turned out despite the fact they had been unaware of being photographed at the moment.

He reached for Anahi's handwritten note and skimmed it, smiling inwardly at the last sentence that was seemingly in reference to the February photo: keep any of the photos for your own uses! I have the originals.

"She really did a lovely job," Euphemia commented lightly as she smiled shyly at her Knight. "I do hope that we are able to help the charity with their funding goals with these photos."

"I'm sure it will be just fine," Suzaku responded kindly as he cast his eyes down onto one of the few photos that they had together up to that moment.

"Yes."

* * *

A/N: All Code Geass characters belong to Sunrise.


	3. Chapter 3

Snapshot Three

Late Night TV

A/N: Based off the song 'If Love Was a Crime' by Poli Genova. Euro-pop is a curious muse that drags out an even more curious product once the gears start turning on the creative wheel.

* * *

"_Euphie_," Cornelia's sharp voice brought her sister to attention as the pink haired woman looked up at her older sister with a dazed look. "Are you paying attention? You're spacing out again." The annoyance in her sister's voice was not lost on the younger sibling as she gave a sheepish smile, apologizing for her spacey behaviour as she leaned forward on her elbows.

"I just think that this is unnecessary," Euphemia said slowly. "It's not like anything I say is taken into consideration."

"Explain yourself," Cornelia demanded flatly, her eyes narrowing at the Sub-Viceroy of Area Eleven. "That's quite an outlandish statement to make, isn't it?"

"I'm aware that I'm just a figurehead for Area Eleven," Euphemia said quietly as she glanced down at the annotated notes from economic trade deals that had been struck up to get more raw materials imported from other nations. Cornelia had been briefing her on the finer points of economic negotiation, something Euphemia found dreadfully boring and dull in comparison to her other duties that at least took her outside palace walls, and she had resigned herself to nodding occasionally at her sister's explanations to attempt to put on the facade of paying attention.

"You can ask for my opinion on certain things but I know that they will never be taken seriously, so it's probably better to just go forward with what you find to be best," Euphemia continued as she lifted her gaze to her sister's and shrugged shyly. "There are certain things that I understand need to be done to make sure things are working properly, but there have to be better ways to address the underlying causes—which is where I think more opinions are healthy to the bettering of Ja—Area Eleven," She corrected herself quickly as Cornelia sighed, gathering the papers in her hands and setting them aside.

"I know you're not pleased with the role you've been assigned by Father and you're hardly fit for a role in policy making—harsh as it may seem," Cornelia said in mild agreement. "However, you do have your uses here that have eased tensions in some areas. You're very good PR for Britannia and that can do a lot to change attitudes that we assume can never been changed to be favourable to the Empire."

"I see," Euphemia replied dully.

"Good PR is better than no PR," Cornelia offered as she winced inwardly at how her words may have sounded to her younger sister who had not even finished her schooling before being plucked from the Homeland and dropped into her expected role in Area Eleven. "You're an amazing intermediary for working on roles between the elevens and Britannians. Better than I certainly am." Euphemia's expression clued Cornelia into the fact she was less than impressed with her sister's explanation and she gave her sister the rare sympathetic look that she only saved for her.

"These things take time, Euphie, you cannot expect to be handed your own Area to take care of," Cornelia said as she tried to divert the conversation and at least get her sister into better spirits. "There are many things that you need to learn that traditional schooling will not teach you and you are expected to know before stepping foot into the political arena. Despite your personal distaste for a subordinate role, you should take advantage of the position to learn how to handle things as Father wishes them to be handled."

"Of course," Euphemia replied.

"Let's leave this for tomorrow then," Cornelia said with a hint of resignation to her voice. "Your intern has been waiting outside the door for a good twenty minutes—you've got something on the agenda, I presume? The kid is going to wear a hole in the floor from his pacing."

"Yes, I have an interview on that late night talk show and the photoshoot for their website," Euphemia answered as she moved to push her chair back, her sleeves dragging over the scattered papers that were graphs, numbers, and jargon that she had not quite grasped the meaning of. She grimaced at the thought of having to take another look at such documents but she kept her opinions censured and to herself for the moment.

"Photoshoot?"

"They want to have some material for their website as well as a one on one interview with the host," Euphemia explained as she glanced at the clock, realizing that she had to be leaving that very moment if she wanted to make it to the studio on time.

"It won't be like that calendar?" Euphemia's cheeks flushed at the mention of the charity calendar that had been a massive hit amongst the citizens of Area 11. The internet had exploded with mostly lovely words of praise for the calendar, much to her sister's horror, and Euphemia had been strictly spoken to with regards to such publicity with an Eleven. When she had pointed out that Suzaku was a knight and Honorary Britannian, her sister's ranting increased and had left Euphemia's brain reeling as she gracefully accepted her sister's words. When she pointed out that the calendar had brought in nearly a million in funds for the children's hospital, Cornelia's ranting had ceased as she cleared her throat, before writing it off as 'at least it was for a good cause, just do not repeat such behaviour'. It satisfied Euphemia enough to be let off the hook and their Father had been oddly silent—perhaps too busy to care—and she had left it at that.

"No, Suzaku will not be present, he's on official business with the Lancelot," Euphemia answered flatly.

"Well, I will see you back here tomorrow, have fun and watch what you say," Cornelia warned as she herself pushed back from the table and gave her sister an agonizing look. "And no questionable photos that make the internet speculate things we do not need brought to the table."

"Of course, I understand," Euphemia replied as she opened the door and was met with the frantic look of her intern and the two bodyguards who seemed equally annoyed by the poor young man's pacing. Cornelia waved her off, looking back down at the papers that she had been parsing over with her sister, trying to make her understand the complex economic benefits to having an iron grip on negotiation with foreign nations. Even Cornelia was aware that her younger sibling was more suited to a life outside the political arena, a soft personality like her not conducive to Britannia's objectives, and she felt a pang of guilt for having dragged her through the mud in such a way that was blatantly cold criticism for something that Euphemia never originally wanted.

"_Good PR_," She repeated to herself, half amused by the half-assed explanation she had used to justify Euphemia's role in Area Eleven, unsure if she was even convinced of it herself.

* * *

Euphemia stared back at her reflection in the brightly lit studio mirror as the make up artist worked skillfully, outlining and smudging the eyeliner around her lids, giving her an almost sultry look. The director and producers had met Euphemia and her entourage and welcomed her warmly to the stage, saying that the presenter of the talk show was running a a bit late, but that she could go directly to hair and make-up to get ready before the photoshoot for the one-on-one private interview that would be used on the national broadcaster's website to generate more traffic.

The stylist had shook her hand enthusiastically, citing that they wanted to try a new look for the Princess if she was permitted to do so. Euphemia gave her a tentative nod, unsure as to what 'look' she had concocted for her but played along with the stylist as she whisked Euphemia into the dressing room. The stylist, a bubbly woman called Loré, had bobbed pink hair the colour of cotton candy and was styled in an oddly similar shape that made Euphemia a bit nervous. She was much shorter than the Princess but her rounded face was youthful and cheerful as she requested that the Princess take a seat in the comfortable and plush armchair before vanishing between two racks of clothes.

"I was thinking this one," Loré said as she held up a tastefully tailored set of black pants that would fit Euphemia snuggly and embellish her hips more than she normally liked, "along with this!" Loré held up in her other hand a long flowing dusty rose and grey silk asymmetrical blouse that would hang loosely off Euphemia's left shoulder but was still high quality and not to mention the craft of a top designer that had been making waves within the Empire's selective world of fashion. They were lovely pieces, still out of the price range of the middle class Britannian population, and yet they were something that Euphemia severely lacked in her wardrobe of dresses and skirts hand tailored by the royal seamstresses that were seemingly on call for whatever whim necessitated by the high society of Britannian royalty.

"The director was thinking to have you be in a more civilian type of wardrobe, more relatable," Loré explained as she set the garments onto a separate rack, smoothing the fabric of the blouse with the palm of her hand. "Since the calendar you did for the charity was super popular, he requested that we do something a bit similar but not too thematic. '_Relatable' _is the theme, but that's fairly open to interpretation. I guessed something that flowed like your typical dresses yet something smart like tailored pants would enhance your charm and give you a fresh look—what do you think?" She looked up at Euphemia who was eyeing the garments with a critical eye, she herself straightening her back after finishing her explanation.

"They look nice, I don't think they'll be a problem," Euphemia offered as she gave a firm nod of approval. Loré clapped her hands together, pleased that her assessment of Euphemia's tastes was spot on. "I'm sure they're also appropriate for the interview."

"Excellent, we'll run with that," She said. "I think the hair stylist wanted to do a side part with you, god know how much hair spray that's going to be, but it will give you a very contemporary look. I've also got some jewelry that you might like, but we'll get to that in a moment. It's cool. Avant-guard." Loré turned her back to Euphemia momentarily, completely missing the grim line on the Royal's lips at the realization that this team effort was something that she had been unaware of. The chat-show itself was a popular program that pulled in millions of viewers every night and she was slotted for her appearance on the busiest night, Monday, and had assumed that her normal get-up would have been sufficient. She herself had watched a few older episodes to get a feel for the host, a chatty and pudgy man called Sergey, and the types of questions he threw at his guests.

"The photoshoot looks like it's going to be very cool, too," Loré remarked as she held up one pair of bright pink shoes to the pressed pants, clucking her tongue. "The photographer wants to do it in sort of a purple, black, and white wash: really chic. It'll look great for the spread." Euphemia could only contemplate that the colours would look criminally horrendous against the bright pink of her own hair but she forced a smile, watching as Loré held up a designer pair of platform sneakers that were a satin-like black.

"These will do," The stylist said as she set the shoes neatly on the ground. "I think this will work wonderfully, you're going to have a blast in these clothes. Plus you're lucky to interview with Sergey, you know?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh," Loré looked up at the ceiling momentarily before she cast her look back on Euphemia. "Sergey is a really nice guy and he's a huge supporter of you—although you didn't hear that from me, okay? He's the one that insisted that you come on the show. I don't know how he got it through the appropriate channels, but he's been trying since you've arrived to Area 11."

"For good publicity?" Euphemia said in half-jest, her violet eyes wary for the answer, to which Loré shook her head, clicking her heeled shoes together over the floor as she moved towards an impressive display of earrings that ranged from small and precious to large and sculpted in a gaudy sort of shape. There were a few pieces that she knew she would never be able to pull off, but there were other more delicate earrings that caught her eye.

"I think he's truly fascinated by your personality and how you seem to quite different from your late brother and the Viceroy," Loré answered truthfully. "Not many of your family have posed for a charity calendar, you know?" She gave a ruthful smile as Euphemia's cheeks reddened slightly at the mention of the blasted famed calendar photo of her and Suzaku posing together. Loré held up a pair of tasteful drop earrings as she looked back at the blouse, nodding lightly to herself. She continued to give Euphemia the same words that the pink-haired Royal had grown used to hearing: how she was vastly different from her siblings, how her personality seemed to wander towards peace and authentic diplomacy as opposed to military interventions, and how she was captivating a very global audience.

"Sergey loves that sort of person: he claims it makes it easier to conduct interviews," She concluded as she brushed her hands together, jerking her head at the wardrobe she had assembled for Euphemia. "Now, let's get you dressed and into hair and make-up: we've got another guest who's also on today's recording schedule and her outfit is a bit more complicated." Loré gave a shrug of her thin shoulders but watched as Euphemia slipped off the chair, stepping towards the clothes, one hand rising up to loosen the binds on her cumbersome dress as she let the fabrics fall to the floor, her dress pooling at her feet as she watched Loré remove the garments from their respective hangers.

"Now, let's get you ready, otherwise I'll never hear the end of it from our hairdresser."

* * *

When Euphemia emerged from the dressing room, her poor intern and security entourage that had tagged along all looked up and gaped at the princess clad in very civilian style that was a complete one hundred eighty from her normal attire. Her long and wavy hair had been swept into a side part that was anchored down firmly with an army of pins and enough hairspray to have destroyed a sizeable portion of the o-zone layer, giving her a very chic and modern look that went against the traditional locks of the Royals. Her clothes were business-casual yet tailored in a way that still hinted that she was of great influence and her style was tasteful yet contemporary, complemented by make up that she had never been photographed sporting. The make-up artist, a stern faced man named Naavi, had contoured her cheeks with a heavy hand that gave her a sharper appearance and her eyes were lined and winged with a strong dramatic wing that accentuated her features in a unique way atypical to her normal natural makeup.

"Oh, isn't she precious?" Naavi cooed in a drawl, his hands folding together as he appraised his handiwork on her face. "_Très cool, très belle_."

"Looks great, Naavi," Loré said with an admiring whistle. "Should hold up until taping, yeah?" She looked as though she wanted to reach out and smooth a stubborn bristle of hair that refused to fall into place, but she restrained herself. Euphemia found herself not minding if the stylist had done so, a friendly gesture from woman to woman, and she was mildly disappointed that a civilian was too afraid to share such an intimate human gesture based on their social disparities. Loré and Naavi gave Euphemia another once over, chatting amongst themselves about any potential wardrobe malfunctions, but both were satisfied with their craft as Loré radioed for the producers and the photographer.

"Your photographer is Reza," Naavi said with a drawn sniffle of his nose, still prone to the effects of the hair spray. "He's worked hard to ensure that your Majesty has a great staging for the photoshoot—although we all assume you're no stranger to them?"

"Of course not," Euphemia replied firmly with a tight smile. "I'm sure whatever Ms. Reza has set up is wonderful."

"That would be a Mister Reza," Loré corrected respectfully. "Well, I'll take you to the set myself—not sure where our producer ran off to." She rolled her eyes as she clicked her tongue, nodding at the security entourage that melted into the background as she opened the door that would lead out onto the set which had been rigged that very morning. Loré held the door open as Naavi, Euphemia, and her intern shuffled through, their gazes set upon the set that awaited them as well as the figure of a slender man, Reza, who was fiddling with his camera.

The set itself was not too complex and proved to be versatile: it was covered in a black sheet that had been strung up from the ceiling and draped along the floor, smoothed out to create one seamless piece which Euphemia would later learn was called an 'infinity cove'. There was medium sized screen hung up to the back wall, currently turned off, and there was a black director's chair set up on an angle facing towards the screen, the distance from the screen and the photographer's camera a clever use of angles and perspective to create an illusion of distance when one looked through the view finder. Euphemia spotted a few spot lights that were scattered about the ground and one hanging off set that would cast its beam on the director's chair when turned on, drawing a spectator's eye to that one spot. Compared to the garish sets that the Royal family used to do their photoshoots and portraits, this was a simple set up that seemed to be more a testimony to a creative use of space than overworking and over-relying on props to create ambiance.

"Your Majesty, this is Reza Parov, and he'll be the photographer doing your photoshoot," Loré said calmly as mentioned photographer looked up from his camera and gave Euphemia a once over. He was a slender man dressed in a plaid button down with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, a pencil tucked behind his ear, and a mop of fiery red hair crowning his head. He temporarily abandoned his camera set up and approached Euphemia, bowing his head and tucking his arm respectfully to his chest in the expected royal salute. Euphemia estimated he was in his late thirties, his dark eyes placid and thoughtful as he lifted his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty, welcome to our humble studio," He said in a smooth and silky voice that reached Euphemia's ears and made her smile despite her initial reservations to this engagement. Euphemia extended her hand out towards the photographer, him accepting it gracefully as they shook hands under the careful eye of her bodyguards and she returned the greeting with a, "The pleasure is all mine, thank you for the warm invitation."

Reza instructed Euphemia to sit in the director's chair and to make herself comfortable, he himself momentarily returning to his camera as he studied the frame with the occupant now in place. Nodding to himself, he returned back to the director's chair and stood next to Euphemia as he gave her a few simple instructions that she found agreeable and even encouraging as he told her that there was no such thing as an 'incorrect' pose and that they would take several photos that would be passed by the government's mandatory board of content production and censorship before they would be published to the website with the interview.

Euphemia found that the entire process of the photoshoot had been much more fun and less stressful than the calendar one as Reza used a more friendly psychological approach to elicit responses from her. She adjusted her posture in the chair, the tilts of her head, and the expressions of her face in reaction to words he simply called out, intermingled with encouragement and positive feedback.

Reza's methodology was intriguing to her as he called out phrases like, 'someone took your favourite pen away from you' or 'someone has messed up a bit of paperwork that you had spent a good portion of your day on'. There were certain shorter words that he used like, 'casual Sunday' or 'teenage acne', to which she had covered her face with only one eye peeking through her fingers. It was an extraordinary exercise in word association and corporal reaction that she had never given much thought to but found invigorating as she lifted up her head, pressing her lipstick laden lips together, and tilted her chin in defiance to the word, 'disagreement'. Her body shifted in the chair as she turned to meet the eye of the camera, her right leg flung over her left one as she tilted her head and let her curtain of parted hair trail down her shoulder as Reza used the word 'casual cool'.

"Wonderful," He said as he looked up from the view finder and directed her to turn in the chair and face the screen. "Now, we're going to put some clips of famous movies or news bits and I just want you to watch them to get a good reminder of what classic Britannian cinema is like. I'm not going to be taking many photos, but I want you to get an idea for the style I'm shooting in, alright? These clips were the foundation of inspiration."

"Of course," Euphemia replied easily as she shifted in the chair so that her profile faced the camera but her head was directed towards the screen. The studio was darkened suddenly and the lone spot light hanging above them was illuminating, bathing her a sharp pool of intense light. The light crept over her body, highlighting and shadowing the angles and articulations of her body and the clothes she was sporting; it was a very creative use of lights and shadows that caught her figure in the view finder of the camera and created the image of mature and underground cinema that had become popular amongst young Britannians and the local population in the last few years.

The screen that had been rigged to the back wall began to display the first scene, a famous scene between a Britannian soldier and civilian woman, standing out on the tarmac of an airport. The movie had been well received as it highlighted the cheesy love story between a young soldier having been conscripted to serve in one of the outer Areas and how their love carried through handwritten letters and extensive monologues that dominated the movie. The soldier was dressed in a similar uniform as Suzaku, which made Euphemia lean forward as she tilted her head at the screen, her mouth moving to the famous exchange of dialogue that had become one of the most quoted in Britannian cinema. The wind was catching in the woman's hair, the soldier reaching up to brush it from her face, and Euphemia herself whispered the words of, _"To farewell, my dearest: war is our greatest separation." _

The screen darkened again as it transitioned to another famous select piece of cinema that was centred on the daily life of an older couple that lived in the outskirts of the Homeland, the opening shot playing before her. The shot was an incredible rigged shot that had been noted for being done in one take. The camera angle was wide as it soared over the lush landscape of Pendragon, swooping as it panned over the trees and water features that dominated the landscape before zooming onto a house that had been constructed for the film. The old couple was standing out on their patio, overlooking a flourishing garden as they stared out at the sunrise, the wrinkles around their eyes ghastly as they contemplated the world in comfortable silence. Euphemia found herself leaning back in the chair, head tilting upward in remembrance of the gardens of the Homeland and the palace, her attention focused on the nods to detail that the director of cinematography had incorporated into the production.

This activity went on for about half an hour, each piece of cinema or news bit worked into Euphemia's mind. The last piece of media was then projected onto the screen and she felt her eyes widen as the image of Suzaku being lead into the courtroom when accused of murdering Clovis. There was something raw in the eyes that stared back at her from the screen and she found herself propping her arm up on the back of the chair, ready to twist herself in the chair to look back at Reza, but she found herself glued to the image of him being escorted to the witness' bench and seated before a room of her peers that were determined to execute the Britannian interpretation of justice. He seemed to nervous as he masked his fears to the best of his abilities, a mere Honorary Britannian facing the ruthless world of judicial law, and she could tell by his stance that he was tense. Euphemia frowned as she looked away towards the left and towards the camera, the light catching her profile perfectly as she could hear the accusations read out by a member of the jury. Reza's camera's shutter chirped and she saw the photographer nodding, pleased with the outcome as he flicked through the series of discrete photos he had shot of her watching the media projected on the screen.

"Excellent, I think what we have is sufficient for the web, wonderfully done, Your Highness," He praised as Euphemia's eyes momentarily drifted back to the image of Suzaku standing being the judge before being acquitted of all convictions before she stood up from the chair. Reza paused momentarily as he caught a glimpse how Euphemia's face caught some of the projection overlaying on her delicate features and he lifted his camera from the tri-pod and snapped it instantly, impressed that the translation of the projected image fit nicely with the camera. Euphemia paused as the news clip continued, her frown apparent as she could hear the recorded boos and hisses of the courthouse audience and Reza snapped another picture before the clip went dark and the screen blackened.

The lights were kicked up and Euphemia blinked at the intrusion of the harsh lights, holding her hand up momentarily as she allowed her vision to adjust. Her intern and her bodyguards were standing off to the side, they themselves at ease now that the photoshoot had finished, and Loré and Naavi returned to the set as they touched up anything that may have been misaligned during the hour or so she had been on set. Euphemia straightened her back out of habit as Naavi retouched her lipstick and carefully sprayed down a few strands of her pink hair back into place, taming her mane efficiently and Loré straightened the shirt over Euphemia's shoulder so that it was not considered an 'obscene' amount of skin showing on public television.

"We also have to film a bit of an introduction sequence, but Sergey will give you a bit more direction on that," Reza explained as he cradled his camera to him protectively. "I'm sure that he's had it all planned since before you were green lighted to appear on the show, so please take it in stride." He gave the Princess a rueful smile as he bowed his head respectfully, retreating with a hasty goodbye as he exited through one door and the famed Sergey entered through another within minutes.

The rest of the afternoon had flown by, Loré's words about Sergey proving to be true as the closed interview prior to the studio audience interview and the filming of the introduction sequence was one of the most curious ones that Euphemia had ever had the opportunity to give. They had used the same set that Reza had utilized for the photoshoot, Euphemia following a similar routine of using the screen and close up shots of her expressions by an over-zealous camera man whose direction was not as good as Reza's but she still felt confident coming off the photoshoot.

Sergey's questions and jotting on his notepad were thought-provoking and made her dig into the vast wells of her own personal opinions carefully wrapped in layers of Britannian approved diplomacy that would require a keen eye for discourse to decipher their true meanings. Euphemia found herself laughing alongside the host, Sergey's charming smile relaxing her nerves as they finished the interview that would go on the web and ran through the activities planned for the evening portion of the talk show that would be aired a few days later after editing and approval from the board of censorship.

"It was an absolute privilege to have your presence with us today, Your Highness," Sergey said long after the taping had finished and the audience had exited the studio. "The crowd was enthralled with you."

"Your words are too kind," Euphemia replied as she felt the urge to kick off her shoes and sink into a warm bath grow after such a long and eventful day. Loré and Naavi had been constantly touching her up and Sergey had been powdered extensively before being thrust under the bright studio lights. It had been an uneventful segment on the show, as she was only on for a portion of it, but it had been great fun to be interviewed and playing an interactive game with the audience that had been pre-selected to be granted attendance due to the high profile guest that she was. The audience had roared in applause and she had taken an extremely cheesy stage bow with Sergey, the two of them being filmed as they exchanged the customary gestures of departure as Sergey closed the show.

"I think the general public will be quite pleased," The host remarked as he loosened his tie. "Also, the production on this had a bit of extra budget, so we got to have a lot more fun."

Euphemia smiled politely as his words, oblivious as to how correct he would be and how his ascertained vision would ring truer in the following days.

* * *

"I can't believe we're being forced to watch this," Rivalz whined as he snatched the bowl of popcorn from Shirley who had been guarding it from the greedy hands of the other council members. They were all gathered around the plasma TV in the council's room, Shirley, Milly, and Nina squeezed onto the couch and Rivalz and Suzaku planted on the floor at the girls' feet, all of them awaiting the broadcast in which Princess Euphemia would appear as a guest. Suzaku had been hesitant about watching the program in the company of the Council, but Euphemia had been locked up in meetings with Cornelia all day and had waved off his concern about not being around to watch it with her. Suzaku could have sworn that her cheeks were a bright red colour as they said goodbye before Cornelia and her cabinet herded her into the meeting room and all but slammed the door in Suzaku's face.

"Nina really wanted us to watch it," Milly said with a wink toward the green haired girl whose own face was extremely red at the subtle dig at her obsession with the Britannian Royal. "Plus when was the last time we stayed so late? We should have come in pyjamas!" Her enthusiasm was a bit too much for the rest of the club members, Lelouch notably absent as he cited having prior plans, but he had apologized profusely for not being in attendance. Shirley huffed as she wrapped her arms around a cushion and rested her chin on the plush material, her eyes drifting to the back of Suzaku's head.

"Do you know what it's about?" Rivalz asked as he looked over at Suzaku who shook his head, a small smile on his own face. The Knight had been careful about how he asked Euphemia about the filming and she said that it had been easier than other interviews and that it was done in good fun. When pressed for more details, she suddenly remembered that she had something to do that very moment and she diverted the conversation to the function the two of them were supposed to attend the following evening. Suzaku had been fairly curious and had tried to search the internet to see if there had been any leaked information from the audience, but he was only able to pull up speculation on what the Princess spoke about in her interview with the talk show host and that a more extensive interview would be released after the airing of the show.

"Oh, maybe she talked about _you_?" Milly enquired slyly, her eyes playful as they brimmed with her youthful indulgences in romance between the Knight and Princess. Nina stiffened on the sofa at such words, Shirley feeling how the girl tensed, and the red head gently smacked Milly on the shoulder to avoid her escalating any further rumour spreading or fantasizing.

"Hey, _hey_, it's starting!" Rivalz said as he spilled a generous amount of popcorn on the floor, to which Milly said he would be responsible for cleaning after the program finished. The five of them glued their eyes to the television as the introductory segment to the show bridged into Sergey's typical first ten minutes of comical monologue, poking fun at certain things that had happened around the Empire. The audience was animated as they laughed along at his jokes and subtle pickings at Britannian policies, skillfully dodging the censorship board although skirting very closely to what could be considered controversial. That night's airing had been heavily publicized by the national broadcaster and the Council members were growing anxious as they tolerated the first two segments before it cut to commercial with Sergey teasing, "And up next, our most anticipated guest of the year—Sub Vicerroy and the Third Princess to the Britannian Imperial Family: Euphemia Li Britannia!

The five took advantage of the standard seven minute commercial break to use the bathroom and refill on the popcorn Rivalz had scattered over the floor, Suzaku being the first to return and resit himself on the floor as he watched the commercial for a cleaning product with half interest. The rest of the Council members returned within a minute of the show returning back on air, Sergey sitting at his mahogany desk as he leaned forward into the ornate microphone reminiscent of old broadcasting days, welcoming back everyone to the show and stating, "Now, our next guest requires no introduction, but we thought we would blow our budget and film one anyway! _Have a look_."

The screen faded into black as an instrumental piece began to play, the frame suddenly flooding with camera flashes and revealed what to be a red carpet like staging with Sergey himself walking down the hallway. The overpowering sounds of camera shutters and blinding flashes was enhanced by the creative hand of the editors before the camera panned and focused on Euphemia dressed in civilian clothing, an impressive DSLR camera held up to her face as Sergey rounded the corner and she trailed his movement, lowering the device as he walked away from her. Suzaku immediately spotted her bodyguard standing in next to her, something Euphemia probably insisted on to have them share a bit in the fun, and her face was completely revealed into a bright smile as she watched the retreating form of Sergey vanish. It followed the format of the show, Sergey usually incorporating his guests into the introductory sequence in some way or another, and it had been done very well and seemed to have amassed what looked to be a vast majority of the studio's employees to work as stand-ins to build up a crowd.

The scene cut immediately to a close up of her face and shoulders, an image of the Britannian installations projected onto her face and causing a strange topographical aspect to the shot that was well filmed. Euphemia's eyes were closed but they opened slowly as she gazed into the camera with a purposeful intent, her cascade of hair framing her face in a stunning fashion. Suzaku found himself leaning forward as he studied the scene transition into Euphemia sitting comfortably in a director's chair, her back to the audience as her head listed lightly as she studied the image of a map of Area 11 projected onto a screen in front of her. Her posture was casual, her legs crossed at the ankle and her elbow resting on the arm rest, and he caught sight of her exposure shoulder that was complemented by the cut of the blouse she was wearing. He himself was surprised that the censor board had been permissive with such a shot, but there was nothing technically wrong with it.

"She looks gorgeous," Milly breathed as she folded her hands together and gasped in awe at the image of Euphemia. Suzaku found himself in silent agreement as he observed the scene cutting once more of a full bodied shot of Euphemia standing in profile, looking out over the urban landscape of Tokyo as she slowly turned towards the camera, the camera panning into a close up of her as she regarded the audience with serious eyes, her lips slightly parted as the screen faded to black and the audience's applause and cheers dominated the soundtrack as the screen lit up with Euphemia walking onto the stage, waving both hands as her brilliant smile lit up the entire environment.

Sergey rose up to receive her in a warm handshake, authorized by her security detail without any doubt, and they both turned to the audience whose eruption of applause was deafening as they both laughed before returning to take their seats. Euphemia settled into the modern chair that hugged Sergey's desk, resting her hands on her knees as she heard the chanting of her name echoing through the studio. Sergey expertly wrangled the audience as he calmed their furor and greeted Euphemia, welcoming her to the show.

"Your Highness, welcome, _welcome, _to your debut on late night television!" He said enthusiastically, stoking the audience to applaud wildly once again. Suzaku watched as Euphemia thanked him and turned to the audience, waving at them once again as they simmered down and the lights on the massive crowd dimmed as the cameras panned back to the two of them on the main stage.

"Thank you so much for having me," She replied with her own brand of enthusiasm, her cheeks pink. Nina's knees bumped into Suzaku's back as she shifted on the couch, the Knight not taking notice as he focused all his attention on the Princess televised before him. "Day time television is a bit of a drag, so why not switch alliances?" Shirley's brow raised at such a flippant comment, but the Council huddled even closer to the television as they awaited the Princess' continuation of her interview.

Sergey began by asking a few simple questions, ones that Euphemia answered with seamless tact as she nodded and took each one with a grain of salt, laughing at some of the sillier ones that established a much more easy-going ambiance. She engaged in the game with the audience, a group of young teen being invited onto stage to play the trivia game against Euphemia and Sergey.

It was only when the host said, after the audience members shuffled back to their seats and the props were cleared away: "_Now_, let's get into what everyone really wants to know: your Knight, Kururugi Suzaku, and yourself—what's the _real_ story?" Euphemia's face did not falter for one second as she adjusted her posture in the chair. Sergey's production team brought up a photo of the two of them at a charity event that had happened a few weeks prior and it was of Suzaku and Euphemia standing surrounded by elderly Britannians in a commercial kitchen where they were up to their elbows in flour. The old women were smiling brightly at Suzaku and Euphemia, a couple dozen doughy discs spread out before them.

"That's hardly an incriminating photo except that maybe I love carbs too much," Euphemia laughed as Sergey nodded vigorously, "Part of my on-going agenda in my role is to do community outreach and interact with citizens, both of this Area and from the Homeland—" Her wording was diplomatic as she did not use _'Elevens'_ or '_Japanese_', "—to not lose the fundamental connection we have with people and what they expect from us. Naturally, Sir Kururugi will accompany me and actively participate, as a Knight's duty is bound to his charge. I was lucky to have selected a Knight that is not afraid to, quite literally, get his hands dirty in the name of duty."

The audience's laughter was booming and Rivalz gave Suzuku an encouraging pat on the shoulder, the young Knight amazed at how Euphemia's answer was satisfactory enough to appeal to both sides. He knew that there was some truth to her words, as she pushed against the isolation of the Imperial family from the common people, but her calls to attention were ignored greatly by those who were at the helm and she was often left bobbing in a sea of despair as she navigated forth with him supporting her cause.

"A lot of enquiring minds are fascinated by the closeness of your relationship," Sergey remarked as the image behind them faded into another one of Suzaku and Euphemia standing a bit too closely together at an event that Cornelia had requested both of them to attend. Suzaku was in his formal garb and standing attentively at her side, both of them with charming smiles on their face as Euphemia addressed the crowd. The photo had made several rounds on the internet, Suzaku having told her that many of the female students at Ashford had squealed in delight and asked about the nature of their relationship. He had been tight-lipped and discreet, proving his reliability to be iron-clad and Euphemia had laughed off the girls' reaction.

"What can you tell us? There are hints of the so called forbidden romance that clearly drum up a lot of talk both on and offline," Sergey asked, he himself having been gracious enough to inform Euphemia that she would be asked this question. He allowed her to come up with her own responses, not catching her off guard as many others did, and he had teased that very question in their one on one interview that would be published on the broadcaster's website.

"I think if love were a crime, we would all be criminals," Euphemia replied solemnly as she tilted her head, looking into the camera as though challenging the world. "There is heavy speculation that there is '_love'_ between us—and of course there is, as there is love between siblings, friends, people, places, and ideas. Love can be something not drowning in romance as we understand it to be, it can be mutual respect and empathy and wanting to be with someone and supporting them in any way possible.

"When I was due to select my Knight, there were certain characteristics and an attractive personality that was that of Sir Kururugi that were enough to convince me that he was the optimum choice despite a lack of experience and whatever technically there was related to his nationality," Euphemia continued as her gaze remained openly defiant before the camera lens, "And I wanted to have by my side that sort of person whose love for making life better for the great good and whose objectives were similar to mine. People will always speculate and theorize about the nature of our relationships, there is no doubt about that…"

Suzaku's hearing went blank as he watched the figure of Euphemia speaking into the television, completely bowled over by her response to a question that they were antagonized with on a daily basis by the media. The two of them had yet to really define their own relationship in terms of what the rest of the world seemed to expect from them yet she had captured its essence without compromising either of their tentative intentions. They had skirted around their feelings for one another various times, too many odd circumstances and legal technicalities not allowing them to be open and free to explore those unchartered yet very apparent waters. Euphemia's answer had been the closest to a confession of wanting him to remain a significant pillar in the structure that was her existence. He felt the girls' eyes cast on him as he dared to turn behind him, Shirley, Nina, and Milly peering down at him with wide eyes at such a statement made regarding the seventeen year old sitting at their feet.

"Well, _well,_ Suzaku," Milly drawled as she cradled her chin in her hands. "I bet that's why she didn't say too much, huh?" Suzaku's bewildered expression and lack of words before the blonde did not go unnoticed as Rivalz motioned for them to be quiet, the interview not waiting for them to gush over such proclamations that Suzaku was fairly sure would infuriate Cornelia despite the censorship board's approval.

"And of course, this wouldn't be an interview with you without mentioning the famous calendar photo," Sergey said with a chuckle as whistles and whoops from the audience permeated the soundtrack of the program. The famed calendar photo was put up on the screen, Suzaku and Euphemia sitting before the camera, Euphemia's head resting on Suzaku's shoulder as he gazed down at her fondly. The same photo that had roused such a scandal with her sister and other members of Britannian high society and the same photo that had garnered a much bigger following of the pair if the flood of comments on social media were indicative of anything.

"They've actually made reprints of the calendar and the proceeds are still going to the charity! So, please, everyone if you haven't gone out and bought one, it goes to a great cause," Euphemia chimed as she laughed at the photo, she herself not letting her annoyance with the continuous references to the blasted photo be transmitted on national television. "I think it's a great photo to be honest, it's not every day that we have military personnel participating in charity events.I was very pleased by the success of the project and the public support and purchase has helped the charity greatly!" Sergey laughed, unsurprised that Euphemia refused to address the elephant in the room and would not budge. He had assured her that they could drag it out to be something comical while maintaining the standards set by the media board to avoid nay unsavoury knocks at the door of the studio. He had enjoyed engaging with the Princess and how talented she had become at taming the media and not answering the questions she was expected to answer before a growing group of eyes that watched them curiously.

They discussed a few more things that were unrelated to Suzaku and her, talking about upcoming projects and events that would be oriented towards the community. Euphemia used the platform to skillfully remind all viewers about various organizations that were gaining momentum in education and health care, speaking into the microphone with the grace and tact of a Princess despite being dressed like a civilian who could be mistaken for a common celebrity. She mentioned a few other novelties while cracking a joke with Sergey about not being able to attend the museum gala in costume before the host regained the upper hand and announced that the show was coming to a close to give way to the nightly news broadcast that immediately followed the talk show.

"But before we go, everyone show go onto our webpage and check out the full interview with Her Majesty where we talk a bit more about her humanitarian work in Area 11," Sergey reminded the audience as the URL for the broadcaster's page flashed up on the screen. "There's also more exclusive behind the scenes content from our interview. Princess Euphemia, we would like to thank you once again for coming on the show and don't be a stranger to nighttime late shows!" Euphemia laughed merrily at his plug for her open invitation to the show, rising to her feet as she applauded along with the audience, the complete package of royalty not afraid to take the stand on a television show that most of her family members would shy away from and avoid like the plague.

"It's good publicity for the Imperial Family," Shirley said as she rested her elbow on the arm of the sofa, watching as the ending credits and production notes scrolled across the screen. "If anything, Princess Euphemia is the human face to the Empire here in Area 11. They're smart to let her do these things, don't you think?"

Suzaku's had a lack of an answer due to his knowing that Euphemia loathed being used to push forth an agenda she herself found many issues with on a personal level. She had only discussed it at length with him once and it had left a bitter taste in his mouth to know that she was self aware enough to know that her ideas and her contributions to important discussions would never make it beyond her sister's ears and that she was exploited as a humanized tool to cultivate positive propaganda. Euphemia was very compassionate and empathetic and she did believe her small acts of working with charities or connecting to the community made small differences but he had never seen her as broken as after giving a speech on the request of the Homeland regarding national icons and their prominence in Britannian public installations.

"I've got to be getting back to the barracks," Suzaku said quietly as he pushed himself to his feet, the sleek standard issued shoes squeaking against the floor as the other four gawked at him.

"Don't you want to see Princess Euphemia's interview?" Rivalz asked as he looked up at the three women who were watching the soldier with curious stares. "I mean, they probably went all out, right?" Suzaku shook his head, giving the group a small smile as he politely declined their invitation to stay longer, saying that he had to be up early to help with testing some new interface on the Lancelot the following morning before school. Milly looked as though she did not believe him, but it was Nina who said the first, 'see you tomorrow', that set off the chorus of goodbyes from the Council members. Suzaku waved and said his own goodbye, wishing them a good evening as he slipped through the door and down the long hallway that would give him street access so that he could make the brisk fifteen minute walk to the military base where he was housed.

The cool air of the night gave him time to ponder Euphemia's responses in the privacy of his own mind, no distraction from the nosy Council members, and he took advantage of the fact that the streets were mostly empty to allow his mind to wander. He knew that most of her answers could have raised flags with the censorship board but she had been acutely aware of how to tick the boxes to bypass them with little effort. Her defence of her personal selection of him as her Knight had been impactful, she herself never having really given him a definitive response as to why she was so eager to bring him onboard and bring him closer to his objective of obtaining change from within the rigid structures of Britannia. Willingly or not, her words had left a feeling of warmth blossoming within him at the realization that their mutual goals were overlapping and that she saw the value not in his immediate strengths but what he could grow into as a person and as someone close to the top of the inner workings of the Empire.

A chance he would have never been given by anyone else.

* * *

Settling onto his bed, freshly showered and dressed in the military issue pyjamas, Suzaku reached for his laptop as he flicked off the desk light and let the light from the screen illuminate his small corner of the room. He loaded the broadcaster's website and was immediately greeted by the video of Euphemia's segment where he could re-watch the interview with Sergey but he skipped over it as he found the link for the interview that had been posted within minutes of the broadcast finishing. The counter on the page indicated that it had already been visited more than two hundred thousand times, an indication that the public was very interested in what else Euphemia had to say, and he found himself clicking on the interview only be greeted with a very prominent photo.

Euphemia's portrait greeted him and it was a photo of her with a neutral expression, her eyes standing out due to the eyeliner she had, had applied to highlight the seriousness of her expression. The side part of her hair framed her face in a way that aged her gracefully, giving her a sage look, and her lips were lined in lipstick that was a bit darker than what she tended to wear. The photo was shot in black and white but had been tinged with shades of purple, something that caught Suzaku's eye despite his lack of interest in stylistic approaches, and it gave the entire premise of the interview a tone that was not as light hearted as the television interview where she was laughing along and playing games.

"_The Voice of Reasonable Dissonance: Euphemia Li Britannia," _Suzaku read as he scrolled to the title of the article, the photo vanishing as a wall of white text on a black background took over the laptop. The introductory paragraph had been written very well by Sergey himself, presenting the facts about Euphemia and her arrival to Japan, her first encounters with the press and the hostage situation at Lake Kawaguchi. The text was beautifully written as it created a narrative that gave the pink haired Princess a different presentation to the public that had flocked to see more content pertaining to the rising star of the Imperial family. It described her as being thoughtful and diplomatic, but also someone who showed great promise with breaking the long established norms of Britannia in the interest of seeking success through other means.

As he scrolled down, the photo changed and it was a picture of Euphemia against a black background, her face still glazed into the stern expression from the previous photo, and her right hand held up in front of her with her palm facing perpendicular to her line of sight. Her hand had been blurred, the focus still on her expression, but her eyebrows were furrowed as it conveyed that she was either annoyed by something or her idea challenged by someone who was looking down at her. Suzaku found it to be a very potent photo as it seemed to stray away from her gentle side as she let that rare side that was slightly more aggressive come out to be photographed in the interest of the article and the following paragraph.

_"Princess Euphemia has been vocal in her attempts to openly discourage immediate military intervention against the Japan Liberation Front and the Black Knights, often touting that diplomacy and negotiation have their crucial roles to play in staving off conflict that involves a higher casualty count," _Suzaku read quietly, sinking back into the pillows of his bed as he adjusted his hold on the laptop, his eyes alit with the soft glow of the computer. _"Her grasp on what happens on the ground is much stronger than she is given credit for, as she has been continuously expanding her philanthropic empire in parallel to the Empire." _Suzaku digested those words and the follow paragraphs that were direct quotes from Euphemia on how she believed that being connected with the everyday citizen as opposed to living comfortably from the perch in the castle was more fulfilling and could, with time, change the course of Britannian and Japanese relations. She was very direct in the interview, the same stern expression appearing in a few more photos that were portrait shots edited in the same purple, black, and white scheme.

It was only when he scrolled to the penultimate photo of the interview that he felt his breath catch in his throat as he studied it carefully, the composition of the shot and the entire message it conveyed hinting that the interview would end on a powerful note. Euphemia was sitting in the director's chair, her entire body cast in the spotlight that highlighted the tops of her knees, her exposed shoulder, and the profile of her body. Her arm was resting on the back of the chair, her face turned slightly towards the camera with a softened look that still gave no way to hinting at any vulnerability. The darkness that engulfed the shot was overwhelming except for the screen where there was an image of him projected and he immediately recognized it from the trial regarding Clovis. Euphemia's expression was thoughtful and contemplative, a look she normally reserved for those close to her, and her figure was minimized compared to the screen. It was a very powerful photo and he would not be surprised if it was already flitting about social media.

_"With regards to her Knight, Princess Euphemia has maintained transparency and has stood firmly by her snap decision in the face of adverse disagreement from governing officials," _He continued to read as his eyes skimmed the page. Euphemia more or less had stated what had been said countless times prior to her interview, with an added caveat that stood to attention: _Suzaku Kururugi may have had a difficult hand of cards dealt to him, but his triumphs and rise within the military have had a favourable dealer. Princess Euphemia's support comes not in billions in funding but rather in a man barely a year older than her who believes and invests in her ideals. It paints an unconditional picture of what the power of empathy and humility can achieve before tanks or guns can, leaving the world wondering: will these two be directive in their approach to handling conflict or will Britannian steadfast tradition come out the winner? _

Suzaku's eyes fell to the last photo of Euphemia, which had returned to the head shot style of her tilting her chin up defiantly at the camera, the curtain of hair streaming over her right shoulder in a cascade of black and white washed curls. He could see in her eyes that there was a mix of emotions, amongst them pride, resolution, and a subtle challenge to those who continued to question her and her philosophy. There was a no-nonsense air about her as she peered into the camera, the whites of her eyes catching the spot light. Her neck was long and elegant, much like a swan's, and she seemed non-plussed by the entire scenario, peering down on those who doubted her with an almost uncharacteristic disdain that she harboured for those who thought less of peace. For what he could see, in the background she was standing with the projection of the classic Britannian movie of the soldier and civilian woman, the blurred out form of an airplane barely discernible from the rest of the shot. Underneath the photo there was a short phrase, one that would strike cords and ignite inspiration simultaneously:

_Let's keep minds open and learn by example. _

Suzaku stared at the photo for a while, those last eight words sticking with him more than any information revealed in the interview. Euphemia's expression of open defiance was moving in its own way, most people assuming that she was a sweet and air-headed pink haired spoiled Royal who only did photoshoots of charitable acts. That was the final product, as he was more than aware of, and what the majority did not see what Euphemia's bickering with her sister for her to be able to go to a field hospital or to visit a children's orphanage and the logistics that went into organizing ways of helping whenever her influence could. Euphemia's soft and dreamy image was pleasing to the public because it was a gentle interpretation of Britannia, but even the Knight could see that whoever styled Euphemia for this interview had wanted to deviate from her cotton candy sweetness and give her a much more mature and razor sharp look. Her eyes were still beautiful and wise, but shooting her in black and white had been an excellent choice as it muted the innocent colours of the Princess and gave her a different and more regal presence.

His cellphone had been buzzing with messages from colleagues in the military as well as at Ashford, him assuming that everyone had seen the images and interview and were messaging him about it to hear his thoughts and opinions. Suzaku's position of knightly servitude to the Princess disallowed him to express his own thoughts on such topics but he would kindly ignore respondin gto each enquiry and give a blanket statement he thought it was fitting and that it was an excellent interview and publicity moment. Just as she was a public figure, he was as well, and he had to take care steps to ensure that her reputation was not spoiled by his own personal views—despite their overlap with hers—and he would not bring up the interview unless she did it herself. Suzaku had little envy towards the Princess having gone public and using such a widespread medium that was not exploited by the Imperial Family and was impressed at how she handled herself.

Closing his laptop, he sighed as he set it on the floor, knowing that the base would be buzzing with opinions on Euphemia's public television appearance and he would have to smile politely through it all without wanting to flee far from the hanger.

* * *

"Good morning," A soft voice greeted Suzaku over the intercom and he glanced up to the control room to see Euphemia standing with Lloyd and Cecile, dressed in her normal pastel coloured dress. She was holding onto the microphone as she waved to him from high above the Lancelot's frame, her face relaxed and at ease as he waved back from the cockpit. Cecile turned to say something to the Princess, accepting the microphone back from her as Euphemia retreated away from the window and Suzaku could only image that she was making her way to the observation deck that jutted out into the hanger.

He himself was dressed in mechanics garb, the one piece zip up bodice loose and covered in oil stains, yet he knew that it mattered little to the pink haired Princess as she reached the edge of the observation deck. Suzaku ditched the cockpit as he took the stairs up to the Princess, two at a time, and came to a stop in front of her as she greeted him warmly. Her debut on the talk show seemed to have gone off well, the lack of tell-tale stress lines a positive sign, and he himself had been surprised that the interview and the television segment had been well received overall. the JLF had left scathing remarks and made a public statement that very evening saying that it was inappropriate to broadcast such garbage using old Japanese infrastructure, but very few had rallied around their words as they were more enchanted by the photos and written interview report with Sergey. Some of the photos had already been colourized, others had been photoshopped into internet culture—something Euphemia did not quite understand, but tolerated—and most of them had been flooded with comments from the general public.

"Sleep well?" She enquired as she reached out to adjust the collar of his neckline. "I can imagine you were also up watching the interview."

"Yes, I did," Suzaku replied, knowing that denying it would not work. Euphemia was fairly proficient in sussing out when he was fibbing or hiding something from her and he ultimately decided it was easier to just be transparent with her even if it was not the best thing to fall on innocent ears.

"And what did you think?"

"I think it was great," He replied, wincing at the generic nature of his answer to which Euphemia gave him a knowing look before asking what he _really _thought of it. She lowered her hands from his collar and folded them in front of her, gazing up at him patiently as she allowed him to collect his thoughts. Suzaku had given it significant thought, not finding too much flaw other than sending out more mixed signals to the nature of their relationship, but he had found it to be a very well rounded interview as well as article piece.

"I think that you used a mass platform very well to play to sympathizers," He finally admitted. "Whether that was your intention or not, it helps people see beyond what certain expectations they had previously had. I think you gave the best answers to questions that could have gotten you—_us—_into trouble if they were misinterpreted. The success of this interview is surely going to have a positive impact on the morale of Area 11—"

"—Japan," She softly corrected.

"—of _Japan_," He said sheepishly.

"And the photos?" Her eyes scanned his face as he smiled down at her, running a hand through his hair thoughtfully as he tried to best express what he thought. Suzaku had saved two of the photos he had liked most, impressed with how they caught the very little shown side of the determined Princess and how a photographer had been able to capture it so effortlessly. She looked stunning with her breaking of tradition and it paid off in the final product as her gentle underbelly was hidden away and the more crafty and aware side of her was brought to attention. Her civilian dress was deviously used in a ploy to remind the public that she was not just a figurehead in many ways who blindly followed expectations, something that he himself found admirable when staring down the likes of Cornelia.

"I think the photos showed you and did you justice," He answered truthfully. "I thought the last photo was the best one… you look different. _Good_, but very different—you're still Euphie, but it's the Euphie that speaks frankly and understands the facts. I think it will help a lot with people to take your objective more seriously than they did before." Euphemia tilted her chin at him, her gaze sharp as she considered his words and opinion before conceding him a tiny smile of approval at his words.

"The photographer, Reza, got that photo by saying a phrase and photographing my natural reaction to it," Euphemia explained as she wove her fingers together. "That particular photo was a response to something that I had not been able to forget since he took the picture."

"What was it?"

"_It's you and Suzaku against the world_."

* * *

A/N: This song has been on repeat for a lot of things recently, but I wanted to use it with this story. Sadly, I have been neglecting this side project but I wanted to inject so love back into it. The song is by Bulgarian singer Poli Genova and it was Bulgaria's song in the Eurovision competition in 2016. It's a very catchy pop song that beats the drum of diversity a bit more loudly than others and I wanted to use it as a framework to give Euphemia's more serious side a time to shine. The way Euphemia is presented to us via the series is that of a silly girl whose fantasies are unobtainable in the structure of Britannian governance. However, we see very brief glimpses of someone beneath the 'cotton candy Princess' facade and I wanted to play with that side to her. There's a lot of references to the song sprinkled through this very long one-shot/smattering/chapter (?), such as the way the photoshoot is done, certain phrases, etc.

Anyway, until next time! In the meanwhile, please go read my other stories on my profile! :) There's a nice twenty nine (!) chapter one waiting for some love!


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